Thursday, January 21, 2010

Why Heady Brew?

Setting up this blog is a spur-of-the-moment decision, that has been a long time coming!

Previously, when I toyed with the idea of starting my own blog, I tried to think of a name that would capture the essence of what I'm mostly on about - authentic spirituality - as opposed to "religion" of any sort. As you'll probably pick up as this develops (& if you read on), I'm an imperfect & often stumbling follower of Jesus - but don't jump to any conclusions about that! I am completely convinced that Jesus' whole purpose was to liberate us from "religion" & allow us to relate honestly and freely with God - without having to jump through any special hoops!

Back to the blog name, then - Jesus had something to say about "New wine" not being contained in old wineskins. In other words - a new way that is too explosively vibrant to be contained in any traditions, just as new wine expands and bursts old wineskins. New wine seemed to be the concept I was after - but if you have any christian religious background at all - you'll know it's an overused (& often misused) cliche. & since it's about my own personal headspace as well (a crazy place to be, at times!) "Heady Brew" seemed to fit nicely. Hope it lives up to the label!

Pages

Whose headspace?

I'm Australian and live in the beautiful Southern Highlands of NSW.
I spend my time doing organic gardening, DIY home renovations and living through the resultant chaos with two teenage kids and a growing menagerie. I also happen to teach primary school children part-time. I love music and poetry, and I'd love to write a book one day.
You'll notice, if you trawl through these pages, that I talk about Jesus a bit. I grew up Christian, and still follow Him. Strangely, though, over the years I have come to see many people who never use his name as fellow pilgrims on the same journey.
I belong to a community of faith, but it is not defined by "church". Whether you are a Christian who believes "God is love", or a pagan or atheist who believes that "Love is god", you are a welcome part of my community.